I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving blocks. I have
high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well most of the crud and muck
on the surface of the blocks as well as within the joints. I am about
to refill the joints with fresh paving block sand.

But I see that there are two kinds of products on the market that can be
applied afterwards. These are jointing sand stabiliser and paving block
sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed by the
sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed

On 13 June, 10:57, Ed ex@directory wrote:
I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving blocks. I have
high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well most of the crud and muck
on the surface of the blocks as well as within the joints. �I am about
to refill the joints with fresh paving block sand.

But I see that there are two kinds of products on the market that can be
applied afterwards. �These are jointing sand stabiliser and paving block
sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed by the
sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed

The purpose of the sealant is to keep the blocks looking pretty, ie as
they look when wet. It's very expensive. It looks just like
varnish. It wears off after a while.

The sand stuff is to fill the cracks between the blocks. If there's
any voids under the blocks, the sand washes in and stops sinking (up
to a point)

The sand is "kiln dried" and you have to put it in in dry weather &
then it's supposed to be vibrated in with a Whacker. I just use
ordinary building sand and wash it in with a hosepipe. You need a lot
more of this sand than you might think. It's normally only used when
the blocks are freshly laid.

harry wrote:
On 13 June, 10:57, Ed ex@directory wrote:
I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving blocks. I
have high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well most of the crud
and muck on the surface of the blocks as well as within the joints.
?I am about to refill the joints with fresh paving block sand.

But I see that there are two kinds of products on the market that
can be applied afterwards. ?These are jointing sand stabiliser and
paving block sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed by
the sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed

The purpose of the sealant is to keep the blocks looking pretty, ie as
they look when wet. It's very expensive. It looks just like
varnish. It wears off after a while.


It's not *very* expensive, unless you buy those tiny handyman's tubs from
b&q, I get it in 25L drums for about £85 inc vat, this is easily sufficient
for a 100m2 drive, and it comes in 'wet' look, IE gloss finish and matt
finish, which still has a very slight sheen.
You are correct in calling it a varnish, though, that's exactly what it is,
and it also stabilises the sand, in that it 'solidifies' the upper layer,
thus preventing washout and also the ingress of weed seeds, the prettiness
of the blocks is a by-product of stabilising the sand, which is the primary
purpose of applying it. stabiliser and sealant are basically the same thing



The sand stuff is to fill the cracks between the blocks. If there's
any voids under the blocks, the sand washes in and stops sinking (up
to a point)

The sand is "kiln dried" and you have to put it in in dry weather &
then it's supposed to be vibrated in with a Whacker. I just use
ordinary building sand and wash it in with a hosepipe. You need a lot
more of this sand than you might think. It's normally only used when
the blocks are freshly laid.

building sand is totally unsuitable for this purpose, as is b&q's own kiln
dried as the grains are far too big, it should be white silica sand, which
compacts down a lot further and doesn't wash out nearly as much

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:

building sand is totally unsuitable for this purpose, as is b&q's own kiln
dried as the grains are far too big, it should be white silica sand, which
compacts down a lot further and doesn't wash out nearly as much


Who would you recommend for kiln-dried jointing sand?

Wickes?

"Ed" ex@directory wrote in message
o.uk...
On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:

building sand is totally unsuitable for this purpose, as is b&q's own
kiln dried as the grains are far too big, it should be white silica sand,
which compacts down a lot further and doesn't wash out nearly as much


Who would you recommend for kiln-dried jointing sand?

Wickes?

Give these guys a call www.mansfieldsand.co.uk to find your nearest
distributor, I believe they also supply sand to Marshall's for their own
brand products.
Hope this helps.
Tom

Ed wrote:
On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:

building sand is totally unsuitable for this purpose, as is b&q's
own kiln dried as the grains are far too big, it should be white
silica sand, which compacts down a lot further and doesn't wash out
nearly as much

Who would you recommend for kiln-dried jointing sand?

Wickes?

Jewsons if you've got one near you, but most builders merchants will have
silica sand, rule of thumb: if it's not creamy coloured, it's not silica
sand, if there's any hint of orange or red, it's crap

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

On 14/06/10 01:13, Phil L wrote:
Ed wrote:
On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:

building sand is totally unsuitable for this purpose, as is b&q's
own kiln dried as the grains are far too big, it should be white
silica sand, which compacts down a lot further and doesn't wash out
nearly as much
Who would you recommend for kiln-dried jointing sand?

Wickes?

Jewsons if you've got one near you, but most builders merchants will have
silica sand, rule of thumb: if it's not creamy coloured, it's not silica
sand, if there's any hint of orange or red, it's crap


Yes, there is a Jewsons nearby where I can get the sand.

After that, is it then the case that I should apply a Jointing Sand
Stabiliser followed by an application of a Paving Block Sealant?

On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:
harry wrote:
On 13 June, 10:57, Ed ex@directory wrote:
I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving blocks. I
have high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well most of the crud
and muck on the surface of the blocks as well as within the joints.
?I am about to refill the joints with fresh paving block sand.

But I see that there are two kinds of products on the market that
can be applied afterwards. ?These are jointing sand stabiliser and
paving block sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed by
the sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed
The purpose of the sealant is to keep the blocks looking pretty, ie as
they look when wet. It's very expensive. It looks just like
varnish. It wears off after a while.


It's not *very* expensive, unless you buy those tiny handyman's tubs from
b&q, I get it in 25L drums for about £85 inc vat, this is easily sufficient
for a 100m2 drive, and it comes in 'wet' look, IE gloss finish and matt
finish, which still has a very slight sheen.
You are correct in calling it a varnish, though, that's exactly what it is,
and it also stabilises the sand, in that it 'solidifies' the upper layer,
thus preventing washout and also the ingress of weed seeds, the prettiness
of the blocks is a by-product of stabilising the sand, which is the primary
purpose of applying it. stabiliser and sealant are basically the same thing



Are you saying then that the sealant does BOTH jobs i.e. it stabilises
the sand as well as protecting the surface of the blocks for stains and
weed growth?

I am not sure whether I need to apply a Jointing Sand Stabiliser first
before applying the Sealant?

Ed wrote:
On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:
harry wrote:
On 13 June, 10:57, Ed ex@directory wrote:
I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving blocks. I
have high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well most of the
crud and muck on the surface of the blocks as well as within the
joints. ?I am about to refill the joints with fresh paving block
sand. But I see that there are two kinds of products on the market that
can be applied afterwards. ?These are jointing sand stabiliser and
paving block sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed by
the sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed
The purpose of the sealant is to keep the blocks looking pretty, ie
as they look when wet. It's very expensive. It looks just like
varnish. It wears off after a while.


It's not *very* expensive, unless you buy those tiny handyman's tubs
from b&q, I get it in 25L drums for about £85 inc vat, this is
easily sufficient for a 100m2 drive, and it comes in 'wet' look, IE
gloss finish and matt finish, which still has a very slight sheen.
You are correct in calling it a varnish, though, that's exactly what
it is, and it also stabilises the sand, in that it 'solidifies' the
upper layer, thus preventing washout and also the ingress of weed
seeds, the prettiness of the blocks is a by-product of stabilising
the sand, which is the primary purpose of applying it. stabiliser
and sealant are basically the same thing


Are you saying then that the sealant does BOTH jobs i.e. it stabilises
the sand as well as protecting the surface of the blocks for stains
and weed growth?

I am not sure whether I need to apply a Jointing Sand Stabiliser first
before applying the Sealant?

you only need one or the other, and as harry correctly said, it wears off
after a while, you'll need to do it bi-annually.

Matt finish looks better than gloss, but it's up to you

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

On 14/06/10 11:34, Phil L wrote:
Ed wrote:
On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:
harry wrote:
On 13 June, 10:57, Ed ex@directory wrote:
I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving blocks. I
have high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well most of the
crud and muck on the surface of the blocks as well as within the
joints. ?I am about to refill the joints with fresh paving block
sand. But I see that there are two kinds of products on the market that
can be applied afterwards. ?These are jointing sand stabiliser and
paving block sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed by
the sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed
The purpose of the sealant is to keep the blocks looking pretty, ie
as they look when wet. It's very expensive. It looks just like
varnish. It wears off after a while.

It's not *very* expensive, unless you buy those tiny handyman's tubs
from b&q, I get it in 25L drums for about £85 inc vat, this is
easily sufficient for a 100m2 drive, and it comes in 'wet' look, IE
gloss finish and matt finish, which still has a very slight sheen.
You are correct in calling it a varnish, though, that's exactly what
it is, and it also stabilises the sand, in that it 'solidifies' the
upper layer, thus preventing washout and also the ingress of weed
seeds, the prettiness of the blocks is a by-product of stabilising
the sand, which is the primary purpose of applying it. stabiliser
and sealant are basically the same thing

Are you saying then that the sealant does BOTH jobs i.e. it stabilises
the sand as well as protecting the surface of the blocks for stains
and weed growth?

I am not sure whether I need to apply a Jointing Sand Stabiliser first
before applying the Sealant?

you only need one or the other, and as harry correctly said, it wears off
after a while, you'll need to do it bi-annually.

Matt finish looks better than gloss, but it's up to you



I am minded to go with RESIBLOCK Superior Natural Matt.
(http://www.resiblock.com/shop#resibl...-natural-matt).

Can anyone recommend a better alternative?

Ed wrote:
On 14/06/10 11:34, Phil L wrote:
Ed wrote:
On 13/06/10 19:40, Phil L wrote:
harry wrote:
On 13 June, 10:57, Ed ex@directory wrote:
I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving
blocks. I have high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well
most of the crud and muck on the surface of the blocks as well as
within the
joints. ?I am about to refill the joints with fresh paving block
sand. But I see that there are two kinds of products on the
market that can be applied afterwards. ?These are jointing sand
stabiliser and paving block sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed
by the sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed
The purpose of the sealant is to keep the blocks looking pretty,
ie as they look when wet. It's very expensive. It looks just
like varnish. It wears off after a while.

It's not *very* expensive, unless you buy those tiny handyman's
tubs from b&q, I get it in 25L drums for about £85 inc vat, this is
easily sufficient for a 100m2 drive, and it comes in 'wet' look, IE
gloss finish and matt finish, which still has a very slight sheen.
You are correct in calling it a varnish, though, that's exactly
what it is, and it also stabilises the sand, in that it
'solidifies' the upper layer, thus preventing washout and also the
ingress of weed seeds, the prettiness of the blocks is a
by-product of stabilising the sand, which is the primary purpose
of applying it. stabiliser and sealant are basically the same thing

Are you saying then that the sealant does BOTH jobs i.e. it
stabilises the sand as well as protecting the surface of the blocks
for stains and weed growth?

I am not sure whether I need to apply a Jointing Sand Stabiliser
first before applying the Sealant?

you only need one or the other, and as harry correctly said, it
wears off after a while, you'll need to do it bi-annually.

Matt finish looks better than gloss, but it's up to you



I am minded to go with RESIBLOCK Superior Natural Matt.
(http://www.resiblock.com/shop#resibl...-natural-matt).

Can anyone recommend a better alternative?

I've only ever used it a couple of times and I've used the unbranded crap
from local builders merchant's at about £85 for 25L
I suppose if you've got money to spare, get the resibond stuff but I can't
see it being much different to the cheapo, it's basically matt varnish.
Pick a dry day (obviously!) and sweep the whole area carefully, if there's
any stains on it already, these will need to be removed first otherwise they
will be sealed in (bird **** etc) make sure all the joints are filled to the
top with silica sand and apply the sealant with a roller on a pole, using a
roller tray, not a bucket.
Have some acetone on standy to clean off splashes to the skin, otherwise
you'll lose half of the hairs on your arms as it sets like superglue.
I'd leave it overnight before giving it a 2nd coat.
It won't take you as long as you imagine - I did an 80m2 drive in about 3
hours on my own with the first coat, the second is quicker because each
roller full goes further.

As I said earlier, even the matt finish does have a slight sheen to it

HTH

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

On 13/06/10 10:57, Ed wrote:
I am renovating a driveway consisting of Marshalls paving blocks. I have
high pressure hosed it and removed pretty well most of the crud and muck
on the surface of the blocks as well as within the joints. I am about
to refill the joints with fresh paving block sand.

But I see that there are two kinds of products on the market that can be
applied afterwards. These are jointing sand stabiliser and paving block
sealant.

Should I apply both of these i.e. the stabilser first, followed by the
sealant ?

Or would a sealant alone accomplish both jobs?

Ed





Hey Phil, Harry, Tom

Thanks for your replies. They been all well useful to me.

I am minded now to go with a Resibond Sealer that will also act as a
jointing sand stabiliser as well.

Thanks again. xxx